


Slytherins Get a Bad Rep

by thatvietartist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Hogwarts Eighth Year, I would suggest listening to the Hozier radio stations on pandora while reading, Multi, Slow Build, eighth year, sorry if this doesn't update often, this is practice, what will happen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2017-12-13
Packaged: 2018-12-11 10:17:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11712351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatvietartist/pseuds/thatvietartist
Summary: When Harry Potter comes back to Hogwarts for the final part of his education, he wasn't expecting to be haunted by Slytherin. Again. First with Voldermort, and now with his shitty representation of his house. Harry has to face the reality of the marginalization of Slytherins while everyone breaths down his neck about what they deserve. Part of him buys into that statement, but the other part sees Kath, an upbeat girl who gets the right ending with grey means; Draco who is sarcastic and funny and whose only ambition is to live on his own terms; Pans whose loyalty is full to the brim for her friends and family and tradition; Blaise trying to look out for his kind, his people. He sees a first year boy crying on a back stair well wearing a green and sliver tie with a bruise across his right eye.What was the point of defeating the Dark Lord only to have people to remake one?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I just started writing this and at first I wanted to make it a light one shot, then I made Kath. And now it's going to be a long fic with some serious shit. Happy reading everyone!

Harry James Potter was half looking forward to eighth year and half dreading it. On one hand, he needed the structure it provided after a year of camping and killing Voldemort’s soul. But on the other hand, school work and the crushing weight of everyone’s hero worship is something he doesn’t want to deal with. He was wondering if it was too late to drop out and just live on his inheritance like Hermione suggested when he walked into a cabin he thought was empty.

Malfoy was sitting quietly reading a book. It had an orange spine and a blue cover. He didn’t notice Harry at the entrance. The doorway into the cabin had been open so Malfoy didn’t make too much of the sound of a trunk’s heavy thud hitting the floor of the train. He flipped another page looking intently at the words.

“ _Life of Pi_.” Harry read the tittle out loud. “Isn’t that a muggle book. Hermione keeps bugging me to read it.”

Malfoy didn’t jump at the sound of Harry’s voice. He simply stuck a worn bookmark into the pages and looked up. “I thought you was Pans.” He pauses, eyes darting quickly behind Harry. “You should read it, Potter. It’s a good read.”

Harry stood for a second longer in the door way. Someone picked up his trunk. He thought it was Ron but when he turned it was Blaise Zabini. He and Pansy Parkinson shuffled inside along with Harry’s trunk.

“You coming in Potter?” Zabini’s deep voice questioned Harry, who was still standing in the doorway. “We might be snakes, but we don’t bite.” Zabini smiled at Harry.

“Draco help me with wonder boy’s trunk.” Malfoy stood and grabbed the other handle. Harry watched as the two Slytherins hoisted his trunk into the luggage space.

Harry silently made his way into the cabin.

“Shut the door behind you.” Parkinson settled across from Draco as she spoke. “No one else will come in here.”

“Wait, you’re forgetting Kath. She had to talk to our head of house about Slytherin try outs and has a head meeting.” Malfoy said casually. He leaned back in his seat and stuck his long legs out to the seat next to Parkinson. “She’s also grabbing some sweets from a little stand outside.”

Harry sat down in the seat closest to the cabin door on Parkinson’s side. Zabini pushed Malfoy’s feet to the floor and sat between Harry and Parkinson. He then put his arm around her. This surprised Harry. Malfoy caught the look.

“What Potter? Thought Pans and I were and item. Newsflash, I’m gay.” Malfoy proceeded to talk to Zabini about Kath and her Quidditch team she’s pulling together. It was an odd sight and feeling to have three Slytherin students who all seemed to have hated Harry have such a normal conversation with him in the same cabin. And finding out Malfoy was gay.

His thoughts stopped as a girl came in and shut the door behind her. “I have a cauldron cake for Pans, a couple of licorice wands for Blaise (honestly, how can you eat those things Blaise), and chocolate frogs for Draco.” She turned to see Harry. “Shit, I didn’t get anything for you. I didn’t notice you when I left.”

“Kath, it’s fine. Potter got here after you left.” Malfoy threw a chocolate frog card at the girl. “Also, you said you needed a Snape for your collection.”

The girl, who Harry figured was Kath, caught the card. “Yes, these are so rare. Like the company is afraid of making them.” She turned to Harry.

“The name’s Kath Nguyen. I’m a seventh year. Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team and head Slytherin.” She stuck her hand out to him. Kath was already in her robes with a green and silver bow tie sitting at her neck. She reminded Harry of Hermione the first time he met her.

“Head Slytherin?” He asked as he shook her hand.

“It’s new. It’s an elected position the headmistress put in place. There’s one for each house and we suppose to help with house unity.” She smiled. “Just had our first meeting and honestly I don’t like the head Gryffindor. He’s a bit of a prick.”

“Who is it?” Parkinson was unwrapping her cake and taking small bites of it. “They can’t be that bad.”

“McClain.” Parkinson winced at the response.

“I heard he’s a piece of work. Makes sexist comments and tried to rape a girl last year during one of the panics.”

Kath nodded. “It was a Slytherin girl. He got three hours of torture for it and everyone treats him like a hero because of it. Honestly, I was hoping Weasley would get it.”

"Ron?” Harry interjected.

“No, Ginny.” She turned back to him. “They’re not letting any of the eighth years participate in student government. But this Gryffindor needs to fuck off. He spent the entire time trying to suggest Abbot to take her shirt off. He thinks he so fucking right because he was Crucio-ed.”

"Are you going to complain to the Headmistress?” Zabini asked.

“Already did. She’s a proud woman and completely ignored what I said just because he was a Gryffindor.” Kath was sitting at this point. Her elbows came up to rest on her knees. “It’s going to be a long year.”

The rest of the ride there was uneventful. The subjects in the cabin ranged from Quidditch (Harry, “I insist you call me Kath”, and Malfoy) to books (Parkinson, Malfoy, and Kath), muggle politics (surprisingly Malfoy and Kath), and eighth year possibilities (Parkinson, Malfoy, Zabini. And Harry).

When they reached Hogsmeade’s station, Kath left first and hurried into a carriage with three other students heading to it. Before she left, Malfoy and Kath hugged quickly. Zabini and Parkinson were nowhere in sight of the cabin or outside the train, so Harry stuck with Malfoy.

They were the last ones off the train and ended up missing the carriages. Together, in silence, they began to walk up to the castle.

“How was your summer?” Harry glanced at Malfoy. “How is your mother doing with your father in jail?”

After a pause, Malfoy answered. “My summer has been less stressful thanks to you. And my mother is doing fine. Maybe even a bit better than before this war. She’s taken up party planning as a hobby and profession.”

There was another pause.

“I’m assuming you had an eventful summer.” Malfoy gestured to Harry’s lip. He had forgotten the ring he had there.

“No, not really. I just wanted to give Reita Skeeter something else to write about in the Daily Prophet.” Harry smiled lightly at Malfoy.

Malfoy smiled back.

***

Both made it in time for the sorting. They split ways, Malfoy going left and Harry going right to their house tables. The list of students was called out, about 200 students. He stopped paying attention to the list of students and started up as soft conversation with Ron across the table.

“Where were you on the train ride? Me and Mione looked everywhere for you.”

“I was in a cabin with a couple of Slytherins.”

“Who?”

“This seventh Kath Nguyen, Zabini, Parkinson, and Malfoy.”

“And none of them tried to kill you?”

“No. Malfoy was reading _Life of Pi_ when I came in.”

“What’s that? Some sort of biography?”

"I don’t think so.”

“Ron, Harry, stop talking. McGonagall is about to talk.”

They all face forward to the owl lectern with wax dripping from the tips of its wings from countless candles. McGonagall was making her way up to the position. As she settled at the lectern, the Great Hall fell silence.

“Welcome back to Hogwarts students. Thanks to the help of countless volunteers since the end of the war, we could open our doors back to the students of the United Kingdom. This year, we want to work on house unity and collaboration.”

Harry glanced at the Slytherin table. Malfoy was already looking at him. He turned back to McGonagall.

“This year we will have a council of students called head students and will be made up of one head student from each house. As all of you voted during the month prior, these are the heads: Fletcher McClain, head Gryffindor; Hannah Abbot, head Hufflepuff; Sera Patel, head Ravenclaw; Kath Nguyen, head Slytherin.”

As each name was called, the students came forward to stand next to McGonagall. They stood in the same order of their house table.

“I would also like to announce Kath Nguyen as Hogwarts’ first student president. She will now give a few words and some updated information.”

McGonagall turned and headed back to her seat. Kath took the lectern and started speaking.

“It is an honor to be the first student president for you. I will try and serve you all to the best of my abilities.

A few things about the head students. We are here for students to talk to us about any problems and issues you have within your classrooms and inter-house relations. We are here for house unity and making Hogwarts a better place for you now and students in the future.

And on the topic of house unity, I want to announce the decision that house tables will no longer be enforced as a seating arrangement in the Great Hall. Students are free to move to sit near friends in other houses and sit at other tables. The only time the house tables will be enforced is during the first feast for sorting.

I would like to add that there will be a house unity ball every year during the end of the year. Some restrictions include year. No one in third year and below is permitted to attend unless invited by a four year or higher. The head students and I will be planning throughout the year and if you have any suggestions please –”

Someone shouted something from the back of the hall that sounded like get rid of Slytherin. Kath paused, breathed, and continued.

“Please come to any of the head students. We are open to any ideas you might have. As always, the Forbidden Forest is off limits. Thank you and let the feast begin.”

Students began to move around to other tables as food appeared. Harry got up and walked over to where Malfoy was sitting with Parkinson and Zabini. He stopped at the spot next to Malfoy.

“Mind if I sit here Malfoy?”

“Not at all Potter.”

***

_"Are you sure about this? I mean it’s just a little...” Hermione trailed off as they entered the piercing and tattoo parlor._

_“A little bad ass. It’s kinda like Bill’s earring.” Ron smiled at Hermione as she puffed out a sigh. “Maybe I should get my ear pierced too.”_

_“Don’t encourage him Ron.”_

_“Mione, he’s already made up his mind. You know him, the man will do anything you tell him not to do.”_

_“I would like it if you two didn’t talk about me like I’m not standing five inches from you.” Harry rolled his eyes._

_The past month had been a lot of eye rolling. From the interviews and wild retellings of the Battle of Hogwarts, there had been lots of the sarcastic movement. What Harry wanted to do most days was help working on the reconstruction of Hogwarts, but Hermione refused to let him come near the school. Something to do with being reminded too much of the battle and possibly leading to a breakdown._

_Harry didn’t argue with her considering she was speaking in a matter-of-fact tone and had her wand out helping fix Grimmald Place._

_So as his way of rebelling against who knows what (he himself didn’t have a clue), Harry was getting a lip ring. Right in the middle of his bottom lip._

_It was fucking painful, but bloody damn worth it._

***

Out of the 20 students who came back for their eighth year there were 10 Gryffindors, 4 Ravenclaws, 3 Hufflepuffs, and 3 Slytherins. Harry knew this because he spent the 5 minutes counting them while they sat in a lecture tower waiting for McGonagall. It was the first weekend at Hogwarts and no one knows why they were called to the tower. Most of them, including Harry and his wider group of friends, were planning to go to Hogsmeade. The door they entered from and now facing on the lecture seats opened and their Headmistress waltzed in.

“Good morning eighth years. I’ve called this meeting to discuss what will happen after your eighth year. As most of you know, you could take an apprenticeship with any of the teachers and Madam Pomfrey. Or you could continue your education in different schools, like wizarding law, muggle and magical relations, or magical business. Please note that most schools require a recommendation.”

She paused and looked around.

"So, before we leave I would like everyone to stand and state what career they would like to pursue. I feel it would be a good bounding exercise for all of us.”

Harry tuned out the first half of the other students. He heard Hermione say wizarding law and Ron say Auror. Then it was his turn. He stood and looked at McGonagall. He thought about the year he spent hunting down dark objects. The danger he had endured. He also thought back to when he was at ease and felt at home. He looked right at McGonagall.

“Magical Education. Defense Against the Dark Arts.”

***

A month into the school year, Harry saw Kath coming out of the dungeons on his way to potions. He was just down the hall from her but he could make out a silver pin with an emerald snake on it and underneath a pin with the school’s crest on her left breast. Must be the pins for her positions. He quickened his pace to say hi and see if Slughorn was in his usual good mood.

Kath had turned her back to him and started outside, probably to the Quidditch pitch with a bag and broom over her shoulder. He was about to call her name to get her attention when something happened that sent Harry flying backward and blackout.

***

_Everyone was fighting and people were dying all around him. Harry was running, trying to get to him. Some sent a curse that ricocheted into the wall next to Harry. He ducked and kept dashing toward him. He reached Ms. Weasley as she shattered Bellatrix._

_Voldemort turned his wand to her and Harry instead of throwing up a shield charm, jumped in front of her. He fell back into darkness._


	2. Chapter 2

Harry woke with a gasped, gulping in air violently. The person sitting on his left jolted up and shouted across the room. He had no idea where he was. He thought he was still in the hallway right behind Kath, laying on the stone floor. But the floor was soft.

“Potter, lie back down. You might throw up if you keep breathing that hard. Slow breaths idiot.” Malfoy looked at him with annoyed eyes. “You’re in the Hospital Wing. You’re fine, just a few scratches and a good lump on your head.”

“Kath,” Harry got his breathing even enough to say her name.

“She’s fine. Blocked the curse that sent you flying. She feels terrible by the way, getting you hurt.”

"Good.”

“Good? Wow, Potter. The poor girl has had a pretty rough day.”

“Good she’s ok.” Harry shot Malfoy a rye look. “Who threw the curse?”

“McClain.”

There was a silence.

“What is McGonagall going to do?”

“She gave head Gryffindor to Weasley. Think he’s got detention for the rest of the term.”

“Good.”

Malfoy had opened his mouth to toss back a tease when five people came bustling into the curtained off area of Harry’s hospital bed. Kath was the first to speak.

“I am so sorry. I thought the hallway was empty behind me. I had no idea you were there.”

“It’s fine. It was just a blasting curse. I’ll be ok.” She placed a couple of chocolate frogs on the table at the foot of his bed.

Ron and Hermione came to stand to his right.

“Why do you constantly end up in the hospital wing?” Hermione ruffled his hair.

“I don’t know mother.” Harry took his glasses from Ron and put them on. “I’m accident prone maybe?”

“What can you do, mate?” Ron poured some water into a glass and passed it to Hermione who then in turn pushed in front of Harry’s mouth.

“Are you trying to drown me, Mione?” She scoffed and hit him softly.

“You should drink that. Your mother knows best.” Malfoy teased him from his left.

“No, she’s just dangerous.”

“Not as dangerous as a Parkinson/Granger combination.” Zabini said from the foot of the bed. “Downright terrifying when they put their heads together.”

Parkinson giggled from his side. “Darling, you know me so well.”

They continued chatting, Kath running to grab some more chairs for everyone to sit about 10 minutes in. Madam Pomfrey came to check up on him around the 30-minute mark and dismissed him after an hour of waking. He left the hospital wing and promised himself this was the last time he’ll end up back here this year.

***

The problem with promises is that they break easily if it was something out of your control. Harry learned this the hard way. He manages to get hurt around Malfoy or Kath and once with Pans. Which was a surprise because everyone knows there’s a secret society of Slytherin girls who will fuck up your shit if you mess with one of them and Harry, as a fact, knows Pans is revered member. The girl who threw the hex that day ended up with a broken nose and no memory of what happened.

(Harry swore never to cross Pans since that day.)

***

Malfoy and Harry were engaged in a high stakes argument about the best Seeker techniques. Malfoy was waving his hands to show the interaction between the seeker and other players. They were loud and open movements, though his voice was low just for Harry to hear while they walk down the hall. Currently, Harry was listening to him defend the tuck and roll. Harry zoned out a little as they passed and small cluster of students moving slower than usual in the other direction.

“Potter, are you even listening anymore?”

“What?” He looked back at Malfoy, eyes a little out of focus. He blinked. “Yeah, yeah, tuck and roll.”

“I just said I ate a blast ended skert.” He looked at Harry skeptically and gently knocked his shoulder against Harry’s. “Stop looking like someone is going to jump out in front of us and hex the living daylights out of me. And stop jumping in the way too. I swear you got the worst hero complex.”

Malfoy puffed out a little sigh like he was tired of taking him to the hospital wing. Harry hit him on the stomach lightly as Malfoy smiles ruefully and pretends to double over.

“You wound me, Potter!”

“Merlin’s pants, stop being so dramatic.” They shared this soft moment in the sun soaked way to Transfiguration. Harry marveled at how his perception of Malfoy change so drastically in a short a time as half a term. He looks at Malfoy now, platinum blonde hair glowing, light up from behind, laughing softly with his whole body. Harry smiles when Malfoy looked over at Harry from the corner of his eye.

Then the moment ends.

Arms linked themselves around Malfoy’s armpits, pulling him unbalanced on his heels. Harry froze. He knew exactly what was happening and he didn’t know if he could do anything. Malfoy’s expression turned sour and he struggled to get his feet underneath him. He looked at Harry.

“Potter, get out of here before you end up in the hospital wing. Again.” The same joking tone he used not a moment ago was not tinged with something close to fear.

“Potter’s not going anywhere.” He didn’t know the boy talking. He could just remember being held down like Malfoy once. “He threw the first punch.”

The boy had a Ravenclaw tie, blue and bronze, loose around his neck. His face looked like Dudley’s, wide and soft with a weak jaw. Then Harry blinked back at a sharp faced Asian boy, there was a faint scar running down his cheek.

“Come one, Potter. He’s one of _them_. A filthy Death Eater.” The boy grabbed Malfoy’s right arm and pulled it out toward him. “Look at his dark mark!”

The sleeved reviled a long scar traveling up his arm, an even paler white than his skin.

“Where is your DARK MARK?! Did you glamour it?!” The boy kicked Malfoy in the shins. There was an audible crack and Malfoy schooled his face into a grimace. “FILTH.”

The boy was breathing heavily and Harry wasn’t breathing enough. He felt like he was going to faint.

“Potter come on. He deserves this. Deserves to beat up and left somewhere to rot.”

“Stop.”

“What?”

“Stop hurting him.” His voice was so small. He felt 10 again. _Stop hurting me._

“If you won’t, I will. This is what you fought for!” Then he punched Malfoy in the same place Harry lightly shoved at just two seconds ago. He did it again and again and again. Then he punched Malfoy’s face and a bruise began to stain his skin. The two other boys holding him back were two Gryffindors. Their voices were muffled.

_Not his face. He’ll snitch._

_Who cares. This is how we deal with Death Eaters anyways._

_Worthless boy._ Shit. Was that the boys in front of him or Uncle Vernon.

Harry began to get tunnel vision, everything was going dark and hazy.

_Potter._ Malfoy wheezed out.

The panic was unbearable and then his mind snapped to a voice. _You’re a witch._

Harry whipped out his wand and snapped in forward out of instinct, sending a _stupefy_ into the back of the Ravenclaw. He fell forward. The two Gryffindors looked astounded.

“This is not what I fought for.” He held his wand steady, the heady weight of magic pulled him out of the daze. “Let him go.”

Malfoy fell to the ground with a grunt, landing on what Harry assumed his broken leg. As soon as the three boys had booked it down the hall, Harry surged forward to help Malfoy.

“Shit. I’m sorry. Merlin’s soggy left boot. We need to get you to the hospital wing.”

“Why didn’t you run away?”

“I don’t know.”

“Bullshit, Potter.” Then Malfoy passed out.

***

Flitwick and Harry sat a little way away from Malfoy’s bed in the hospital wing. They were waiting for the Gryffindor Head of House, Rebecca Singh, one of the art professors, and the Slytherin Head of House, Slughorn. Harry’s eyes wondered as Flitwick and he endured the awkward silence.

The hospital wing was a quiet place, full of whites from soft cream warm tones to crisp ice blue tones. The walls were warm with creams, afternoon sun lighting up heavy yellows and oranges on the white. Madam Pomfrey was dressed in light greys, a white apron over her dress like robes. A nurse trailed after her in stark white robes and apron. They were exiting Malfoy’s curtained off section. She came up to the two of them and nodded for the nurse to go prepare some pain numbing potion for Malfoy to drink when he woke.

“Mister Malfoy will be fine. I had to mend a bone or two and he’ll be taking a diluted Skele-grow for any ones I’ve missed or were cracked. Other than that, just some internal and surface bruising that will heal quickly if he takes small doses of Bruise-Be-Gone.”

“He won’t. He’s going to show everyone what they did to him. But thank you.” Harry nodded at Madam Pomfrey.

She nodded back. “I hope so. It’s sick what kids are doing to Slytherins. I’m starting to be irritated at how many of my house are sent to this wing.” She walked away.

Silence fell back into the long wing as Madam Pomfrey’s shoes muffled into nothingness on the stairs that took her up to other floors of the wing.

Singh came into the wing then, thick hair pulled back into an intricate braid. She had a smear of oil paint on her cheek, pastel green against dark skin much like Harry’s. She pulled up a chair to Flitwick and Harry.

 "So, what is this about two of my students holding down another student to be beat up?” She looked irritated, as if drawn away from something. “Whoever they are, they clearly need a house reassignment. No one in my house will be given detention for holding down someone.”

“You would have them get a detention for them starting a fight?” Flitwick looked amused.

“Yes, it’s cowardly and disgracefully to what Gryffindor stands for.”

Slughorn entered and Harry pulled up a chair for him to sit in. “This is the fourth time I had to come to the hospital wing for Malfoy. Why does everyone target the poor boy? He just had terrible guidance. It is not justification for the hate he’s seen. Potter, who were these students?” Slughorn had turned to Harry.

“One was a Ravenclaw. Asian with bushy eyebrows. I didn’t know his name. I didn’t see the Gryffindors.”

Singh nodded her head. “We’ll find out who the students were. I will not tolerate this kind of behavior in my house. Filius, Horace, shall we discuss punishments in my office. I’m sure Potter here would like to see his friend.”

Harry stood after the three Heads of Houses left and walked over to Malfoy. He parted the curtain to find him sitting up right with a sour look on his face.

“I hate the feeling of someone pitying me.” His frown was more of a pout and Harry smiled softly.

“That’s what Slughorn does the best of. You can’t blame him for second nature.” He sat on Malfoy’s left. “How are you feeling?”

“Less bad than when I passed out.” He held out his hand. “Pass me the diluted Skele-Grow.”

They sat chatting and working on the project from Transfigurations class they missed. It was quiet outside the curtains of Malfoy’s bed. They get done with a plan when Blaise peeped around the curtain slit at the foot of the bed.

“You owe me thee gallons, Pans.”

“Damn it.”

Malfoy pinked as the four other friends in their group came through the curtain. “My life isn’t a gamble, Pans.”

“Oh hush, darling. You love it.” She came to sit on Malfoy’s left. “You had us scared when Pots sent that paper airplane.”

“I’m fine.”

Hermione set down a couple of chocolate frogs. “Kath sends her love. She’s out in the Quidditch pitch, but says she’ll swing by after.”

“This really bloody sucks. I just saw a little first year girl get shoved by a third year. There was a prefect right there, said nothing. Just scoffed.” Ron frowned and leaned on the table at the foot of the bed.

“Yeah, Ron, it bloody sucks.” Malfoy frowned with him.

***

He was out flying with Kath and her Hufflepuff friend in a three-way seeker game when Draco called for Harry. Harry fumbled in his attempt at the snitch and Kath fingers closed around the small golden ball.

“Ha! The undefeated has been defeated!” Kath took a victory dive and rolled onto the grass of the pitch.

Her Hufflepuff friend dived down and landed on top of Kath. They play wrestle for the snitch as Harry flew down to where Draco stood.

“Do you remember that we have the rest of that project due for our term final, Potter?” Draco tapped his foot in the grass, which would have been a power move on the stone floor of the castle, but was amusing in the pitch. The “Potter” was also a power move, which Draco liked to pull when he wanted to let Harry know he was irritated with him.

“I do, Draco, just got caught up in a game.” Harry gestured to Kath and her friend as they came up beside him with their brooms over their shoulders.

“Come on Draco. It was just one game.” Kath gave a stiff pat to Harry’s back. “I promise I didn’t hurt him too much.”

He glared at her (another power move). “It set us an hour behind schedule.”

“Shit.” Harry glanced at his watch. “Really?”

“Yes.”

“I gotta go Kath,” Harry yelled back to her trying to catch up with Draco’s retreating form. “I’ll get the snitch next time.”

“You go ahead and try!”

Harry hopped on his broom and flew toward Draco. He scooped Draco up onto the broom and flew up the path to the castle, gaining speed with each second air born.

“Potter! Potter, put me down!” Draco shouted over the whistling air. “Potter!”

Harry threw back his head and laughed loudly, dropping into a spin.

“Harry!” Draco shrieked gripping onto Harry’s shoulders and laughed along-side him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to be honest, part of me doesn't know where I'm going with this. I want to give Hermione, Ron, Blaise, and Pans more appearances but I'm having trouble fitting them in somewhere.


	3. Chapter 3

The library had a muffled quality to its sounds that Harry found comforting and nice and drowsy and – Draco slammed two more heavy books right next to Harry’s head. He jolted to alertness, whipping his head to Draco’s face. He smiled sheepishly as he took the top book but Draco stopped him by placing his hand on top of Harry’s.

Harry flushed from the neck down and felt heat raising to his cheek. Draco looked soft and creamy in the yellow glow of the library’s candles.

“No, you work on organizing this presentation. You’ll fall onto the ground asleep if you keep looking up things in books.” Draco draws the books away from Harry and sat to his right, refilling the seat he vacated for the two books. He started flipping through them quickly before scowling and standing back up. “I’ll be back. Don’t fall asleep Potter.”

Harry nods, shuffling their notes around and jotting down an outline. Not a second passed when he felt someone come back to the seat next to him. Without looking up, Harry mumbled “That was quick Draco. Did you decide it was enough research for this theory?”

“I’m not that filthy Death Eater.” He glanced up at the female voice. Dark curls and a scarlet and gold tie like his hung around her neck. “Why do you even bother with _him_?”

Harry looked back to his work. “ _He_ is my friend.”

She sat down in Draco’s seat and set her elbows all over Draco’s neat notes. “But why are you even friends with him? He’s a Death Eater like the rest of that House.”

“I know for a fact the rest of the house are not Death Eaters. Have you met Kath? She’s –”

“The president and head Slytherin and captain of her Quidditch team and the seeker, but how do you think she got those positions? She cheated her way into those spots. They only respect cheats in that house.”

“I was going to say honest and loyal to her own beliefs. She’s also a hoot to hang out with. But I’ll trust your judgement if you know her so well.” Harry deadpans the last statement.

“She’s the one who broke Elizabeth’s nose.”

“And Elizabeth hexed my legs and I fell down a flight of stairs.” He doesn’t even give her huffing retreating figure a glance.

“Smooth.” Draco sits back down next him.

Harry smiles.

***

_Harry was shaking with fear. He had been tucked into a ball hiding from Uncle Vernon for some time now. He was outside in the petunia bushes, the blossoms concealing his small frame. His breath was shaking and loud. He shoved his hand over his mouth to muffle his breath. It was already dark outside, the lights of the neighbors had all slowly blinked out joining the velvet night._

_A thick meaty hand grabbed his arm and Harry wanted to scream. Another hand came up and covered his mouth and nose. He couldn’t breathe. He was suffocating. Uncle Vernon was suffocating him._

_He struggled against the hands but his tiny body couldn’t pull itself away. The hands dragged him into the house. He saw the shadow of Vernon on the patch of light in the backyard._

Harry woke in the sweat of a nightmare. He lay still and stared at the red canopy of his bed while he waited for sunlight to flood into the dorm.

***

Hermione was the only other person who was up this early in their circle of friends. She was chatting up a storm about taking to McGonagall for a recommendation for magical law. Harry zoned out while placing jam on his piece of toast. He took a bite, his dry mouth becoming drier with the toast in his mouth. He absent-mindedly chewed as Hermione kept talking. He stared across the hall, then he noticed something.

None of the Slytherins were anywhere but their table. The few who were downstairs from other houses this earlier stuck to mingling between the three of them. He glanced down their table. A single Ravenclaw sat next to Kath. Harry frowned at the sight. He was pretty sure that some of the students here were friends with Slytherins. He watched a small Slytherin came in and walked up to the Hufflepuff table. He smiled at another first year sitting there, making to sit there himself. Harry kept watching.

The Hufflepuff sitting there glanced at the others he was sitting with, a Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. The kid hesitated and then shoved the Slytherin away. They seem to get into an argument or at least the Hufflepuff was telling the Slytherin something in an angry manner. The other two students sitting with the Hufflepuff stood up and pressed in on the Slytherin, leering over him.

Harry froze, watching the scene in a daze. There was an older student who glanced over and shouted encouragement at the three students standing over the Slytherin. The Slytherins at their table tensed, as if ready for a fight.

“Harry,” Hermione stuck her hand in front of his face, blocking his view. “Harry, are you ok?”

He hadn’t realized that the toast in his hand was crumbling under his grasp, jam oozing onto the table. He dropped the toast onto his plate and grabbed a napkin placed onto the table. “That kid, he’s being bullied.”

She glanced up at the little Slytherin who is still on the floor. “He probably got a relative who was a Death Eater.”

“Mione, he was going to sit next to that Hufflepuff. They were probably friends.”

“Maybe before he was sorted into Slytherin.”

“What?”

“I mean, it was Voldemort’s house and is known for being evil.”

“Merlin, Mione. Aren’t you and Pans friends now?”

“Yes, but –”

"But nothing, he’s just a little kid.” Harry stood. “He shouldn’t pay for the shit people with the same trait as he did. You would’ve stood up if someone did that to Pans.”

“It’s just how things are now.”

Harry left the Great Hall without breakfast.

***

“So, this is where the great Potter sulks? The library.” Draco in the seat next to Harry as he angrily worked on rest of his potion’s homework. “Tell me, all the times we worked in the library was really just you being pissed at something?”

“Not in the mood, Malfoy.”

“Hermione told us what happened this morning. I’m assuming that’s why you ditch Pans on the way to lunch from Herbology.”

“I’m not hungry.” Harry’s stomach growled, rather loudly. _Traitor._

“Could’ve fooled me, golden boy.” Draco set a small basket on the table. “I’m inviting you to a secret Slytherin spot for you to rant.”

“Will I be able to finish the potions homework?”

“Nah, Slughorn isn’t even checking it today.” Draco grinned crookedly. “Come on, before it gets too cold to.”

Harry sighed and shut his potion’s book and rolled up the scroll he was working on, shoving both into his bag. “I hope this secret spot is windy. I get to finally see your hair ruffled.”

Draco reached up and ran his hand through his hair.

***

They had trekked out to a swing by the lake. It hung low and wide. Draco’s legs stretched long and spindly out in front of him while Harry’s tucked underneath the swing, the balls of his feet pressing into the soft earth. They began eating as the chilly wind whipped across the lake. Silence passed comfortably between them as their lunch disappeared bite by bite.

Draco took a deep breath in and out before asking, “So, this morning, did it have anything to do with something from your muggle life?”

“Why do you ask that?”

“We all have scars from our homes.” Draco rubbed his right arm, where the long scar lay. “And besides, no one would dare hit the golden boy in the wizarding world.”

“Except you.” Harry smirked into his sandwich.

“Except me.”

They kept eating for a time, comfortable in each other’s silent company.

Harry spoke quietly. “Yes. To the question from before, yes. My cousin used to do that to me before I could do magic. Used to gang up on me with his friends and beat me up. I think once I flew myself to the roof of my school because they were chasing me. I got a week locked in my room without food and a beating.”

“My father used to take a belt to me if I got anything less than outstanding in any class. Remember that time that Alastair imposter turned me into a ferret? He gave me thirty lashings for being turned into an animal. He would’ve given me more, but my mother stopped him.”

Harry and Draco finished their lunch half an hour before their Transfiguration class. They took their time walking back, trading stories from their home life.

Draco would need a healer after some beatings.

Harry had a burn scar on his inner wrist from a hot oil burn while cooking.

Draco had a long scar from Fenris because he hadn’t done what his father wanted.

Harry couldn’t count the weeks in which he would go hungry.

***

He and Hermione weren’t on speaking terms for quite some time after the breakfast incident. When Harry needed advice, he went to Kath. When he needed help in Transfiguration, he went to Draco. And because of Ron’s and Hermione’s relationship, he was around Slytherins more and more often than his technical two best friends. And this didn’t sit well with a few people, most of which turned to the Slytherins who Harry hung out with.

Pans had about fifty rumors flying through the halls about promiscuous activities with half of the seventh-year boy. Blaise got called out in the halls for being whipped or whoring out his girlfriend. On many occasions, Blaise had to stop Pans from attacking offenders in the hallway.

“They aren’t worth it.” He would grip her hand so hard her skin would bruise slightly.

She would grip back just as hard and leave crescent shape cuts into his skin. “Just once, just once, let me do this. They’re attacking us. I won’t stand for this.”

“You can, you will, you must. We don’t have any power to do otherwise.”

Blaise would nod over to Draco who would come over and place his hand on her shoulder. “He’s right. Pans, I know you want to strike them down, but you know it’s against your best interest.”

She would look past the two of them at Harry. For a while, he thought she would cast him aside for bringing this onto the three of them. But, instead, she sighed and let go of Blaise, the fight leaving her body, as if in defeat. She’d link her arm with Harry as they walked away from Blaise and Draco on their way to Herbology. She would ramble about fashion, the latest gossip in wizarding celebrities, what she wanted to do after Hogwarts, about her classes that none of their group was in.

“Why don’t you stop hanging out with me? I’m mainly the reason why you’re getting bashed on.” Harry remarked as they walked outside once. Winter was coming quickly, cold winds snapping at the castle and students alike.

“You’re our friend and just because some assholes are jealous doesn’t mean we’ll abandon you.” She gently pushed him. “We stand as one without question.”

Draco received an average of four death threats a day. Some threats were violent, some sexual, but none of them phased Draco.

“They’re words. Words can’t do anything unless they’re backed with action and evidence.”

“But, what if they do something? You’re going to get hurt. I –”

“What, Harry? Go into isolation? Go into one of your moods?” Draco sighed and put down the book he was reading from. “I like being friends with you. I like when you ramble on about muggle things. I like your stupid face and stupid scar. No one is going to stop me from being your friend.”

"So, you’re still hanging around out of spite?” Harry nudged him with his foot.

“Partly. The other part is to rebuild my social life.” Draco smirked into his book he picked back up.

“You wound me,” Harry grabbed his heart and pretended to have death pains. Draco laughed a full belly laugh and Madam Prince came around the corner to shush them.

***

Hermione still spoke with Pans, but the tension between them were tense. They didn’t bend their heads together in a conspiratorial manner anymore. When the group sat together for eighth year meetings, Harry would sit farthest away from Hermione as he could get, avoiding the glances she threw at him. Part of him knows he was acting childishly, but another saw it as something she deserved. The whole of him didn’t care. She just looked at the Slytherin boy and saw a potential evil. The same way the Dursleys saw him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a couple of months and it was mainly because I was at school. I'm back now and will probably updating in the dead of night.

**Author's Note:**

> Please feel free to ask for updates. I might forget to do it or get super anxious in posting more.


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